


Pair and Repair

by Springmagpies



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Almost enemies to lovers but not really but its sort of there, F/M, Fluff, HGTV AU, Humor, Reality TV, Secret Santa, They're just dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28408773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springmagpies/pseuds/Springmagpies
Summary: Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons are two of HGTV’s best hosts. So, when producer Phil Coulson has an idea for a new show that pairs different hosts from the channel together, he knows exactly the pair he wants for the pilot. What he doesn’t know is that he might have just played match maker as well.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 104
Kudos: 77





	1. An Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [recoveringrabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/recoveringrabbit/gifts).



> Aaah! I am so excited to finally get to share this fic! This is for the absolutely lovely @recoveringrabbit who prompted renovation. One of the options was an HGTV AU and to say I was excited is an understatement. I actually squealed. Like full on giddy squeal with clapping and everything. This fic sort of got away from me so it is much longer than expected! But I hope that's alright! I shall be posting the chapters of this fic every other day! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Jemma was pretty sure she was adding the finishing touches to her favorite remodel she had ever done. Her construction lead, Mack, had done a beautiful job installing the new windows and the details he had added to the high ceiling really brought out the character of the space. Really, Mack always did a beautiful job on every project, giving justice to her designs and never failing to bring her visions to life. It was like all he had to do was wave a magic builder’s wand and turn her rough sketches into glowing reality. Obviously more work went into it than that, but his skill was nonetheless impressive. She truly was beyond grateful for her show’s team. They were all around simply remarkable and she really didn’t know what she would do without them.

Dream Designs, the home improvement show Jemma hosted and designed for, was finishing up the filming of their second season. Their first season had been a smash hit, garnering high ratings and higher praise from viewers and critics alike, even getting a special shoutout from one of the hosts of Good Morning America. Apparently it had become the host’s new obsession, and they were not alone in that. Viewers loved Jemma’s sincerity, the way the team worked together, and of course the redesigns of each episode. Daisy, Jemma’s design assistant, also thought that the host having an English accent didn’t hurt the show’s success either. As she lovingly put it, “Americans eat that crap up.” 

Jemma had to concede that her design assistant might have had a point on that front. After all, their show’s biggest ratings rival also featured a host with an accent that viewers gushed over. At least they were very passionate about it on social media. That and his very handsome face and gorgeous eyes and wicked level of talent. Not that Jemma read or agreed with any such tweets, of course. She admired him--and of course the show as a whole--from merely a professional standpoint. 

Find, Fix, Forever Home, the show presented by the aforementioned host, had been HGTV’s number one show for three years running. Even the rerun episodes got massive amounts of viewership as no one wanted to turn the channel when it was on. The designs were too nice and the cast too fun to warrant flipping to anything else. The overall success of the program had made its host, as well as the rest of its cast, become sort of a household name. Leo Fitz and his zany design team were beloved by all ages in almost every home in America. On top of that, they were also adored by marketing execs, home decor outlets, and even loved by Jemma herself. Again, completely from a professional standpoint. 

Jemma had been in interior design for years and of course had watched many a show on the HGTV network. It was pretty much needed viewing in fact as it allowed her to get the scoop on what sort of designs were entering the homes of clients and therefore understanding what sort of styles the average viewer would be trying to emulate. After all, most trends got their big breaks on the Home and Garden channel. And even Jemma, as a long time viewer of the network, had to admit there was something special about Find, Fix, Forever Home. Something about Fitz’s awkward but adorable charm and his hilarious but heartfelt rapport with his crew, Lance Hunter and Bobbi Morse, was just magnetic. You could not help but like the show. And his architectural gift didn’t hurt either. It didn’t take long for one of his building ideas to be mimicked in every home improvement catalog in the months following the featured episode’s air date. 

The show had been such a success that the execs at HGTV decided to capitalize on the resurgence of the channel's popularity and start really working on new programs. Dream Designs had been one of the top pilots, but had unfortunately been the only one to survive their first season. But in spite of the surrounding “cannon fodder shows” as Mack called them tanking in their ratings, Dream Designs survived. In fact, it didn’t just  _ survive _ the first season mark. As it happened, the show passed every benchmark with flying colors and then some. Jemma’s innovative and practical interior designs mixed with Daisy’s bubbly personality and Mack’s winning smile and everyman approachability launched them up the ratings ladder and landed them right next to Fitz’s Fix, Flip, and Forever Home. 

As luck based as television often could be, Jemma was secretly unsurprised by the show’s success. She had always excelled in school, earning top marks and striving for perfection, and, to her, her show wasn’t much different from that. She wanted to make quality designs for every client and she couldn’t help but think that’s what put her and her team’s show a cut above the rest. From what she had heard about Fitz and his crew through the gossip wire, they were much the same. However, she could not help but think that this similar mindset put them in another, more personal, rivalry that was only partially related to ratings. That, and of course, the holiday party of the previous year. 

Jemma could often perseverate on their minimal interactions at that party, so she tried very hard not to think about the specifics. The main takeaway she had had was that the well-liked Leo Fitz very much disliked her. Though, as unfortunate as she felt it was that the two of them didn’t get along, such a relationship was not all bad. After all, it only made her want to work harder and take his top ratings spot. Maybe score a coveted Good Morning America interview too. Obviously she never wished for him to lose viewers. She was one of said avid viewers, professionally of course, and would never even dare to think of his show losing it’s following. She was positive they would always have a professional viewer in her. She really only wanted to give him a nice bit of competition is all. At the moment, it was just what Dream Designs was doing. 

As she stood back to admire the new curtains she had placed in the Bennet family’s freshly redone living room, she quite thought that this particular episode just might do the trick. It truly was turning out to be one of her favorite’s. She liked the natural flow they had created between the entrance and living space and she thought the style update was quite innovative. 

“Knock knock,” came an energetic voice from down the hallway. 

“Living room, Daisy!” Jemma called back, still admiring the curtains.

There was the shuffle of shoes being taken off before Daisy came, quite literally, sliding down the refinished hardwood in her hula girl and palm tree patterned socks. Perfect for the blustery spring rain, Jemma thought with a smile as she looked over her shoulder and took stock of the socks. 

“Good thing the budget didn’t allow for a complete overhaul of the yard,” the design assistant grinned, “It has not stopped freaking raining out there. Probably would have flooded the freshly mulched flower beds or whatever you put on the list.”

“So glad you remember the designs,” Jemma teased. Daisy responded by simply sticking out her tongue. 

“Brighter side of the cloudy day, the new door looks super cute! I like the little window!”

“Thanks! And the curtains?”

Daisy held her slightly damp clipboard to her chest and joined Jemma in staring at the drapes. “Oh, yeah. They turned out great! Much softer than I thought they were going to be. When you said yellow I was kind of worried. Remember, I had to leave before you picked the final swatch.”

“Were you thinking I would make them lemon colored or something?”

“I don’t know. We’ve done bold designs before.”

Jemma laughed and picked up one of the picture frames she needed to hang from off the floor. “I don’t think a traditional style home would suit bright yellow drapery, do you? Besides, the soft yellow is bold enough.”

“Agreed. And I like them.” Daisy took a sip of her iced coffee--she rarely got it hot, even if it was freezing outside--her brows furrowing as she looked about the quiet space. “Wait, where’s the camera crew?”

“Getting dinner. You’ll probably have to redo your dramatic entrance when they return.”

“Damn. My slide was perfect this time. I was camera ready.”

“The leaf in your hair begs to differ,” Jemma said, nodding to the soaken leaf caught in Daisy’s long brown locks before turning back to her picture hanging. 

The design assistant pulled the leaf from her hair, throwing it into one of the many spare garbage cans Jemma always had laying around a project site. “Okay, now I’m camera ready. Wouldn’t matter, though. I’m not actually here on design business. I’ve got news.”

“What sort of news?” 

“Phil Coulson left you a message and wants you to call him back as soon as you have the chance.”

Jemma nearly dropped the poor picture frame to the floor in shock. She quickly set it down before her shaking somehow cracked the glass. It was scientifically impossible for such a thing to occur, but she didn’t want to risk it. Because if the nervous vibration didn’t break the glass, dropping it sure would.

“Phil Coulson called me?” she gasped.

“Yeah,” Daisy said, sitting on the floor with her iced coffee. They still hadn’t brought in the furniture. “Said it was really important.”

“Important? What kind of important? What did he say exactly? Is everything alright? Daisy!”

Daisy drew her brows together, looking at Jemma like she was trying to read her mind. Something must have clicked, however, as realization suddenly dawned on her face like sunlight through clouds.

“Oh! You’re not fired.”

“Heavens, Daisy,” Jemma huffed, relaxing her shoulders. She covered her forehead with her palm.

“Yeah yeah yeah. Viewership is still good, ratings still high, everything’s fine. Sorry, probably should have started with the whole “we’re not cancelled” part before mentioning Coulson left a message.”

“Probably.”

“Though, I do think me sliding in here with a coffee and the paint swatches you wanted for the Darcy’s place really didn’t scream “we’re cancelled,” ya know? After all, if you’re out of a job, so are Mack and I. And that I am much more worried about.”

Jemma glared with a wrinkle on the bridge of her nose. Daisy merely smirked through her sip of coffee.

With the fear of cancellation now firmly edged out of Jemma’s mind and Daisy now at her side to act as her second pair of hands and eyes, the rest of the decorating day went by smoothly. The camera crew got enough of the needed shots squared away with Daisy’s reentrance and reaction--as well as a time lapse of the pair working--to call the B shoot a success. All that was left on the docket was the homeowner’s reactions and the rest was left up to the editing team. 

As she always did after a decoration day, Jemma enjoyed the giddy nervousness of anticipating the homeowner’s reactions with a nice long drive home. She liked to listen to music and tap her fingers away on the steering wheel (keeping them in the proper, safety approved, form of course) and try not to worry her lip with her teeth too much. However, this particular drive home had an extra layer of anxiousness added to it.

Phil Coulson was the channel’s number one creator and producer. The man behind every hit. He was even the man behind the concept for Jemma’s show and had been the one to cast her as the host. In other words, he was very important and rather intimidating. The moment Jemma’s car was parked in it’s building assigned parking spot, she flew up the stairs to her flat and dialed Coulson’s number. It was eight in the evening, but he had said to call him as soon as she got the chance. Or had he meant as soon as she got the chance to call him  _ at a reasonable business hour _ ? She was halfway to hanging up the phone out of fear when she heard him say, “Hello, this is Phil Coulson.”

Normally she went through his secretary, but he had left his direct number with Daisy. Still, hearing his voice without the normal preamble was slightly terrifying. 

“Hi,” Jemma said, plopping down on her couch, “this is Jemma. Jemma Simmons. From Dream Designs.”

“Yes, Jemma. I know who you are.”

“Right. Sorry.”

There was a little chuckle on the other end of the line and it alleviated some of the pressure pushing Jemma’s heart up her esophagus. 

“No worries, Jemma. I know that this is a little out of the ordinary, but I’ve got a new show idea whose details need to get sort of expedited. So, normal means have sort of gone out the window. Now I checked with your production crew and your design assistant and they said you had a reveal shoot tomorrow morning. I was wondering if the following day you would be willing to come to New York for a meeting.”

“A meeting,” Jemma repeated.

“Yes. With the head of the network and myself.”

Jemma’s eyes widened and she drew in a sharp breath she prayed Coulson couldn’t hear through the telephone. A meeting with Phil Coulson and Melinda May. What could that possibly be about?

“Sir,” she said, trying to order the thousands of thoughts that had just rushed into her head, “if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is this meeting about?”

In spite of it being relatively impossible, she could have sworn she heard him smile as he responded with, “An opportunity we are very much excited to share with you. However, we do need you to sign on before we can reveal the details. All I can say is I am really quite excited about it and that it would provide you a remarkable opportunity to further share your talents and, I think, even expand on them. I’ll give you the night to decide. Just give me a call back tomorrow with your answer.”

She nodded. Then, remembering he couldn’t see her, choked out an, “Of course. Thank you.”

An opportunity that involved something created by Phil Coulson with the direct approval and involvement of the legendary Melinda May. An opportunity that highlighted and heightened her talents. Jemma really didn’t think she needed the night to decide. She was still going to take it, of course, to think out all possible scenarios. But, at base level, she sort of already had her mind made up. Afterall, how exactly could she say no to all of that?


	2. A Very Expected Unexpected Pair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah! Happy New Year everyone! This was meant to be posted yesterday, but I forgot like a silly goose. Anyway, it is posted today for the New Year and I will still be posting the next chapter tomorrow as scheduled! Thank you all for the support on this fic! I love you all!

The first thing Jemma did upon waking up the next morning--after her morning run, shower, and tea of course--was reply to Coulson’s offer with a hearty affirmative. She had spent the previous evening going through pros and cons, making a color coded list of everything it might involve, and had ultimately come to the conclusion that she could not in good conscious turn down such a proposal. The call was quick but had Jemma repeating her thanks over and over again, even while the producer was simply giving her flight information. 

It took a lot of Jemma’s concentration to stay focused while they filmed the Bennet family’s house reveal. Everyone was delighted by the transformation, one member of the household even gushing over the yellow curtains for a good deal of time, and it was their reactions that kept Jemma in the moment. Otherwise her mind already would have been in New York. And the moment it finally had the chance to wander there, it did. 

“Do you have any idea what the show is about?” Daisy asked when the shooting day was finally over. She had offered to drive Jemma to the airport, both as a friend and a very curious colleague. 

“None. I still have to sign all the documents and things before he can tell me.”

Daisy made a face and slumped back in the driver’s seat. “Boo.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to tell you soon. From what Coulson said, it seems like the show is getting moved up the ladder quite quickly.”

“Wonder why.”

“Holidays,” Jemma replied simply. “I was thinking about it and I believe at the rate it is all going they most likely want the episodes out by December.”

Daisy’s eyes went wide and her mouth spread out into a “yikes” face. “That time crunch isn’t scary at all. Getting a show worked out and filmed by the fall. Not to mention the amount of time you’ll have to spend on the project.”

“Maybe they’ll allow for my team to come along.”

“Still sounds scary. Even magic Mack would be stressed with that amount of time.”

Jemma worried her lip again, accidentally peeling off a piece of skin. “Our season is wrapping up filming with the Darcy house. Maybe they’re making this our sole priority.”

“How could they do that if you’re the host,” Daisy replied. 

Jemma was unsure how to respond to that. 

“Maybe it’s a single house show. The whole season is dedicated to one redesign.”

“Or maybe,” Daisy said, shooting her a look as they reached a stop sign, “you’re not the only host.”

For some reason, Jemma had not considered that as a possibility. She had thought about it, but dismissed it as Coulson had not given any hint to co-hosting or anything similar. Surely that was something he would have mentioned in the job description. Then again, the whole thing had been rather hush hush.

Looking out the front windshield of Daisy’s beat up sedan, Jemma tried very hard to recall all that Coulson had said during the two phone calls she had had with him. However, the excitement of the whole ordeal turned the memories surrounding it into mush. It was only after waving goodbye to her friend, going through airport security, and actually sitting down in the plane that it hit her. The hint that Coulson just might have given:

_ “It would provide you a remarkable opportunity to further share your talents and, I think, even expand on them.” _

Share and expand on her talents. At first she had thought he had meant sharing her talents with an expanded audience, or maybe just learning from a new experience. But upon closer inspection, Jemma realized he just might have meant something else entirely. After all, what better way to share and expand one’s talents than with someone else?

* * *

Upon arriving at the fancy skyscraper that housed the network’s offices, Jemma was a bag of nerves. Of course she had arrived at the building an hour early, as was her way, and spent the majority of the extra allotted time wandering outside the very tall skyscraper and taking in the sights. And not contemplating who her possible co-host might be. Not at all. No, she simply purchased a bagel to pair with her reusable cup of self prepared tea and ate outside in the slight spring chill with no such thoughts running through her head in the slightest. Nope. No such thoughts at all. 

Once enough time had passed to allow her to actually enter the building without seeming overeager or overanxious, Jemma checked in with the man at the front desk and headed up to the floor number Coulson had given her, pinning her fancy visitor’s badge to the pocket of her black and white blouse. She had been quite the sensible head while dressing, being both professional and individual. She was rather proud of her outfit and she thought she had done her hair quite nicely as well.

She found where she was supposed to be very quickly as the elevator landed right at the glass office entrance. As she pulled open the door, a sweet looking man with a very proudly displayed badge gave her a hearty welcome from behind the cleanly designed reception desk. Jemma still had another fifteen minutes before her meeting actually began and so she felt quite comfortable asking for the location of the loo and taking her time checking her appearance in the mirror. Once she had affirmed her hair was still nicely done and that the city wind hadn’t displaced anything in any way that needed dire attention, she headed back to wait in one of the comfortable yet stylish looking chairs in the reception area.

As she walked down the hall she contemplated how she was going to introduce herself to Melinda May--one did have to think about how to introduce themselves to an icon after all--when she stopped dead outside the glass doors. For, sitting in one of the chairs she had planned on occupying, was none other than Leo Fitz. 

He had his ankle balanced on his knee and was flicking through one of the architecture books that had artfully been placed on the coffee table, his brow furrowing as he examined the pictures and relaxing slightly as he read the text. He was dressed in a casual smartness, his dark dress shirt nicely paired with well-fitting slacks. The cuffs of his sleeves were unbuttoned to allow them to be rolled up his forearms and there was just a peek of pattern in his socks. Jemma could not help but note that he had a bit more scruff on his cheeks than he had had in his latest aired episode and his hair was slightly longer, and therefore curlier, as well. They had most likely finished filming their on-air season months ago, giving him the opportunity to not have to be as “network cut” as Mack called it. Jemma, however, thought the more relaxed appearance made him look quite handsome.

As she thought it, Jemma internally kicked herself and hid behind an adjacent wall that wasn’t made of glass. How long had she been staring at him in that see-through doorway? For a very unprofessional amount of time, that was for sure.

Memories of the network Christmas party flashed through her mind and she felt herself tense slightly, a warm blush rising up her throat. She had thought him so fanciable that night as well. His hair had been the same length as it was now, but he had been cleanly shaven. Network cut in his sweater and slacks as he chatted with his construction assistant, Hunter, as well as Mack. Really, by the looks of it, the other two had been chatting and Fitz had been adding in a few words here and there.

She had been staring an unprofessional amount at him then too. He was so handsome and obviously brilliant at his craft and seemingly comfortable in his standing with the network, making him appear all the more put together. Jemma had been the new one in the room, Mack and Daisy both having worked on other shows for the network before being assigned to her pilot, and so she felt slightly out of place. But that didn’t stop her from stepping out and being social.

When she had gone up to introduce herself to Fitz, however, he had been rather...what was the word? Blunt? Quiet? A mixture of the two. He had said hello but not much else, leaving Jemma to do most of the talking. It had seemed to her that he was thinking more than listening and so she had quickly retreated to the punch bowl. She was still unsure what she had done to elicit such a response from him, but, either way, she knew he didn’t like her much. Which--and she would never admit it out loud--stung quite a bit. 

Now he was here, a glass door away, in the office of Melinda May just as she was. What could he possibly be there for?

Jemma flung a hand over her mouth. 

Surely he wasn’t… 

She dropped her hand.

He most certainly was.

Well that was just fantastic. Paired on a show with her bitter (were they bitter?) rival. Adjusting her necklace around her neck so that the clasp was definitely in the back, Jemma took a deep breath, steeled her wayward worry, and walked back through the doors into the office, sitting in the chair directly opposite Fitz. 

Most likely seeing her entrance in his peripheral, he glanced up from his coffee table book before doing a double take, dropping his foot back onto the ground with a loud enough thud that the receptionist took notice. Jemma could have sworn she saw Fitz’s adam’s apple bob and his eyes widen in a way that was almost shy, but she wasn’t certain. After all, what did he have to be nervous about? He was the channel’s golden boy after all.

“Hello,” Jemma said politely, folding her hands in her lap. 

Fitz placed the book down on the modern glass table with another loud thud. The receptionist, Sam as his badge presented him, gave a little huff to the sound, leading Fitz to quickly raise his hand in an apology. The whole interaction left Jemma to hide a smile at the floor.

With the book now, firmly, back down on its stack, Fitz cleared his throat.

“Hi, Jemma. How are you?”

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“You know my name?”

“Of course I know your name,” Fitz said slowly, quirking a brow, “Why wouldn’t I know your name? We've met before. You probably don’t remember--”

“I do remember,” she cut off.

“Oh.”

“I just didn’t think you remembered.”

“Why wouldn’t I remember meeting you?”

That led to quite the rapid fire discussion. 

“I don’t know. There were so many people--”

“Even if I didn’t I watch your show--”

“And you didn’t really talk--”

“Which is brilliant by the way--”

“So I thought you just didn’t like me and--”

“I would still remember meeting you.”

“Just figured you would have--Wait, you watch my show?”

“You thought I didn’t like you?”

They both stared at one another for a long time, Fitz with his mouth slightly open and his very blue eyes very wide and Jemma with her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Both seemed on the verge of saying something else when the moment was interrupted by the introduction of Phil Coulson into the room.

“Hey guys,” he said, walking in and leaning a hand on the reception desk. “Glad you two got a chance to meet or catch up or whatever before the meeting. Ready to come on back and sign way too many documents for the next hour?”

Jemma was not in fact ready to sign a heap of legal documents. She had a whole heap of other things to now sort through. Unable to tell that to Coulson, however, she made quick eye contact with Fitz before they synchronously nodded. 

Melinda May’s office was even more stylish than Jemma had expected. It had a lovely view of the city out of wide windows, was filled with sleek furniture, and decorated tastefully in minimalist planter boxes and blueprints depicting the eras of housing architecture. It was not necessarily Jemma’s style, but she could appreciate it for it’s modern beauty and tasteful setting. The office of a good eye. 

The owner of said office was just as beautiful and elegant as the workspace. Her hair was down in dark sheets and her pant suit was dark with a slight hint of red in the blouse. Upon their arrival, she stood and shook both Jemma’s hand and Fitz’s before returning to her ergonomic rolling chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Fitz examine the wheels of the seat. If she wasn’t so nervous, the sight would have made her smile. In his show he was always so passionate about how things were made. It was comforting to know it wasn’t all for cameras. Fitz was Fitz. 

And apparently Fitz was not someone who disliked her. 

Jemma quickly tucked her hair behind her ear and refocused on the conversation.

May placed her hands lightly upon the desk, “as you are both now probably aware, the show we are offering you a spot on is to have more than one host.”

“Yes, as a part of the concept.” Coulson cut in, taking up the rest of the pitch. “The premise of this show requires two hosts from the network with different sets of skills. The pair will work together to redesign a house using their strengths. If, say, one of the hosts is more of a buy and sell person than the house is put on the market. Or, as is in the case with you two, the hosts are both more  _ design for a couple  _ people, than a couple is chosen. Keeps the show fresh and reinventive with every episode. It also allows people to see unique team ups and gives the network more… what did you call it May?”

“Unification. It allows the network to feel more accessible. People like to think that the hosts of networks all know one another.”

Coulson nodded. “Exactly. It makes the network a team rather than a collection of shows. Which is something unique that our particular network can offer. And viewers also like familiarity. Like to feel they know the people they are watching. Cross-overs, like this show would facilitate, make it feel like their friends are becoming friends.”

Looking at Coulson, Jemma saw an excitement in his eyes that she couldn’t help but reciprocate. She had to admit, she liked the idea. Liked it quite a lot. Now she just needed to know where her and Fitz came in. Because if they wanted “friends becoming friends,” that might be hard with the two of them. It was only recently that she learned Fitz didn’t hate her guts.

At the thought of him, Jemma turned her chin to look at the man sitting next to her. He appeared as interested in the idea as she was, with his brows drawn slightly together, showing he was listening. Jemma followed suit as Coulson continued.

“Crunching the numbers--which really wasn’t that hard--May and I came to the conclusion that the two of you are the perfect candidates for the pilot episode. Your shows have the highest ratings of the network, highest weekly view count, and most social media traction. Not to mention, your teams are as beloved as the both of you.”

Jemma sat forward in her chair. “Our teams will be joining us?”

“They’ll have to for this all to work,” May said plainly.

Coulson smiled. “May is thinking of schedule.”

“And I have a point.”

“Yes, you do. This pilot episode does have a rapid--”

“Rushed.”

“ _ Expedited _ schedule. Extra help from your teams means that the work time can be much shorter. However, the addition of dynamics between the teams is also a plus to the show.”

Fitz and Jemma both nodded, as in sync as they had accidentally been outside. 

“Do you know one another’s teams at all?” May asked, leaning her elbows on the desk. 

“Yes.”

“No.”

Jemma blushed. “I have said hello to them before, but we haven’t really gotten to know one another. Though, this sounds like the perfect opportunity to.”

She quickly glanced over at Fitz, trying desperately not to turn a darker shade of pink when she caught the little nervous smile he gave her. 

“I’ve known Mack for a while and we’re good mates. And of course I’ve met Daisy. But I quite agree with Jemma. This sounds like a great opportunity.”

“So,” Coulson said, rubbing his hands together, “you guys ready to sign on?”

“Yes,” they said together, shooting a few more furtive glances one another’s way. 

As they signed the documents though, having been left somewhat alone by a chatting Coulson and a listening May, it was as if an icy river between them had thawed like spring, the conversation running as fast as rapids. 

Jemma had no idea how it had happened, but she had walked into that office quite convinced Leo Fitz hated her and had left with him as not only a co-host, but as a friend. Contact in her phone and all. 


	3. The Unnecessary Shopping Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! This chapter is actually posted on schedule. A small victory 😂. Enjoy!

Coulson had not been kidding when he had said the process would be expedited. It was only three weeks later that Jemma found herself moving temporarily into a hotel room in Richmond, Virginia to begin filming the pilot of  _ Pair and Repair _ . 

They had set everyone up in the same hotel, turning the first few nights of planning into sleepover nights. Jemma’s room was the tidiest--Fitz enjoyed grumbling goodnaturedly that it was also the largest--so it was where they often worked out design ideas before the official filming. It had been quite fun, getting to know everyone in the strange comfort of a yellow lamp hotel room. It was nice to have Daisy and Mack there as already established friends, but Hunter and Bobbi were delightful and very entertaining company. Both were quick witted, intelligent, and possessed great senses of humor. 

And then there was Fitz. 

The Fitz that Jemma had met at the network Christmas party had definitely been a part of him, but just a sliver of the whole. As she got to know him, Jemma found he was even better than his television personality. Though both were admittedly similar, off-camera Fitz was even more open, far more foul mouthed, and gentler than she had anticipated. His initial shyness at the Christmas party became quite clear to her as he had been a bit nervous when they had had their first consultation with the couple whose house they were renovating. He had let her take the lead on initial introductions, but once the cameras were rolling and the discussion veered towards his area of expertise he became the excited and inquisitive man she had gotten to know and come to really adore in the small space of time. 

By the end of the first week of pre-production, Jemma considered Fitz more than a good friend, their relationship hovering in the grey area of good friends and best. They spent hours talking, laughing, bantering, and designing in and outside of filming. While working on the redesigns of the old craftsman house, Jemma couldn’t help but get closer and closer to him. Even after long hours spent planning and everyone had retired to their separate hotel rooms, Fitz stayed behind. Sometimes it was to continue to talk about their plans, but most of the time she simply got the sense that neither of them wanted to part. In those late hours of the night, sitting on Jemma’s bed lit only by the lamplight, they talked of nothing and everything and all the nonsense in between. By some strange happening, Jemma had found the person she liked to talk to most in the world happened to be the person she had thought hadn’t wanted to talk to her at all. How wrong she had been. 

If she wasn’t mistaken, and she really hoped she wasn’t, Fitz seemed just as excited to see her each morning as she was to see him and just as reluctant to part. At the start of each work day, the team all met up in the lobby of the hotel, gathering together before hopping in the van destined for the build site. As it was early, everyone was a little foggy-eyed and groggy. Still, as grumpy as he was in the pale blue light of morning, Fitz always met her with more ideas or a silly post he had found or simply with an excited hello and a cup of tea when it was his day to bring it. Everyone else took coffee, even Hunter, so she and Fitz bought tea to share. 

“Morning, Simmons,” he smiled, the early morning of demolition day bright in his eyes, “I was thinking about your ideas for the kitchen. I really like the suggestion of the larger sink, but I think it could be beneficial to the layout of the room if we moved it from the island to under the window.”

Jemma took a sip of her tea and smiled brightly back, her brows raising up her forehead as she realized what this new option could free up in her designs.

“That would save space on the island and allow for--”

“The breakfast nook,” Fitz finished. “I know that the couple wanted it and that you have an odd obsession with them.” 

She narrowed her eyes at the cheeky look playing across Fitz’s face.

“That’s because everyone loves a breakfast nook.”

He helped her into the van before following her to sit in the back, Daisy playfully poking his spine to get him to hurry.

“I could build you one if you like,” he offered as soon as everyone had buckled their seatbelts and the car had started. 

Jemma let out a little laugh. “Not in my current flat. Very strict do not touch the walls policy.”

“Well, if your landlord watched either of our shows they would know it would drive up value. You think if we got Garner to list out the previous value like he does for the voiceover it would help at all?” Fitz switched to his best impression of the American narrator’s accent. “The previous value of this apartment was blah blah blah blah blah.”

“Hmm, I think it should just be you who talks to her.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm. Just do that same impression, facial expressions and all mind you, and I am sure I will be allowed my breakfast nook.”

Fitz scowled, shoving her shoulder playfully with his own and leaving Jemma with a blushing beam that didn’t leave her face for the rest of the day, even though it was destined to be one spent sweating and getting covered in plaster and dust. 

Part of the deal for the show was learning the talents of the other host. For Jemma, this meant plenty of shots of her helping Fitz, Mack, and Hunter on demolition day, a process which Jemma found admittedly more fun than she had expected. They had spent the whole day knocking through walls, breaking apart out of date cabinets, and tearing up soiled carpet. 

As fun as the day had been, there had been a brief moment of oddness during the process, happening just before they broke for lunch. It had been shrugged off in the moment, but it could not help but linger in Jemma’s mind even after she had returned to the hotel. She had stood under the showerhead, worrying her lip as she went over what had happened at the worksite.

The production crew had needed a shot of Fitz showing Jemma what wall to tear down, him marking it with a--what he had grumbled was an unnecessary--spray painted X before Jemma took a sledgehammer to it. Lights, cameras, and a whole bunch of eyes had been on them, but somehow, in the moment, they had both forgotten all about it. 

They were tearing down a wall separating the kitchen from the living space and right as she had picked up the hammer Fitz had decided to start narrating in his voiceover impression. However, it had gone a little awry. Somewhere between his mind and his mouth, the accent turned into an odd mixture of the network’s go to voiceover actor and an old timey newscaster. 

“Jemma is taking out her frustrations over not having breakfast nook in her own flat by knocking down the wall, making sure at least one couple must not live without one.”

Unable to contain her giggles, Jemma snorted before promptly doubling over in peels of laughter, dropping the sledgehammer to the floor. Giggling himself, but worried she had dropped the heavy tool on her toe, Fitz doubled over as well but rested one steadying hand on her spine while catching the hammer with the other. 

“You alright,” he laughed.

“No! What in the heavens was that accent?”

“I have absolutely no bloody clue.”

Jemma wiped tears of mirth from her eyes as she straightened up, watching as blooms of pink rose on Fitz’s cheeks. Neither noticed that he still had a hand on the small of her back nor how close he had gotten until a cameraman coughed and popped both the bubbles of laughter and the rose-tinted bubble that had encased them. 

Suddenly hyper aware of her surroundings, Jemma took a step back from Fitz and felt his hand fall away from her back. For some odd reason, she wanted very much to grab his calloused hand and put it right back to where it had been. Instead, she clasped her own hands in front of her and tried not to frown as he too took a step back. 

He ducked his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“So, right, the--err--the wall.”

“Yes,” Jemma said, “the wall.” 

She quickly put her face back into its presenter position and picked up the sledgehammer, forcefully shoving down the butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach.

Jemma closed her eyes as she ducked her face under the showerhead, her mind spinning as she went over and over what had happened. As much as she had pushed them down and caged them up, there had definitely been butterflies when Fitz had touched her. And there were butterflies every moment after. And before if she were being honest with herself. When he smiled, when he laughed, when his eyes lit up like blue stars in the sky of his face. 

Her eyes flew open under the stream of water.

Oh gosh. 

She had a crush on Fitz.

* * *

As the weather grew warmer and the summer flowers bloomed bright and fragrant, the worksite became ever happier than it had been. The two teams got on like butter and jam. Everyone had become very close and mixed with the friendly atmosphere of bright sunlight, new coats of paint, and the smell of warm green grass productivity and positivity were at an all time high. Even with the time constraint and the looming deadline only a week away, the team was still in high spirits.

The overall design of the house was beautiful and fresh, Jemma’s and Fitz’s ideas not only meshing together seamlessly, but pushing beyond their individual talents. Fitz’s imaginative and innovative craftsmanship paired with Jemma’s practical and yet stylish finishings made their original blueprints seem completely outdated.

Jemma had always credited Mack with bringing her designs to life--and she undoubtedly admired his incredible skill--but Fitz had enhanced them in a way she had never expected. He had had the idea for keeping and expanding on the classic craftsman beams, keeping her vision of airy earth tones and vaulted ceilings but grounding it with that touch of warmth and homeliness that it needed. Even the camera crew could not help but comment on how well it had all turned out.

The only shots missing were the last few bits of installation, the final touches, and the grand reveal. And yet, on the Monday that kicked off the final week of filming, Coulson had called in to request a few extra shots.

“He wants us to pick out furniture,” Jemma explained to the van, nearly falling into Fitz as the vehicle hit a bump. They shot one another a nervous smile before Daisy interrupted their telepathic conversation. She swung an arm over the back of her seat to face them. 

“But, wait, didn’t we already pick out and order all the furniture?” she asked.

It was Bobbi who responded. “Yeah, everything’s coming on Thursday.”

“So it’s a useless shopping trip,” Hunter said, “brilliant.”

Jemma shook her head. “I think it must be to push the sharing skills idea.”

“Yeah, but I was there for the whole picking out swatches and layout and all of it,” Fitz commented. He gave her a curious look asking a silent question with the furrowing of his brow.

_ So what’s the meaning of all this then? _

Admittedly, Jemma didn’t have an answer for him and so she sent him back widened eyes and shrugging shoulders.

The rest of the car ride was mostly quiet as everyone silently pondered, scrolled on their phones, or, in Mack’s case, dozed off. There was a brief moment where Fitz and Hunter were arguing over football, but it was suddenly broken off by a sharp gasp from Daisy.

“I got it!” she cried, reaching out to accidentally smack Hunter in the chest and waking up Mack as she kicked his seat in her excitement. 

While Hunter grumbled, Bobbi leaned across him to ask Daisy what exactly she had gotten, to which the design assistant replied with, “an answer to the Coulson question.”

“Care to share with the rest of the class?” Hunter asked, rubbing the spot on his chest where she had hit him. 

Daisy gave a cheshire cat grin, a look that Jemma knew meant trouble of one kind or another.

“I’d hate to spoil it,” she replied coyly.

Yes, Jemma thought as they pulled into the build site, definitely trouble.

* * *

Aside from the necessary camera men and other needed crew members, it was only Jemma and Fitz on the shopping trip. They were going to some local furniture store which Jemma had to admit was incredibly cute. It was relatively small, especially in comparison to something like Ikea, and laid out with just the kind of furniture they were meant to be looking for. There were classic craftsman pieces mixed in with more mid-century decor and a few farmhouse accents as well. It was quaint and cute in a very American way. Both she and Fitz knew, however, that the only thing they would truly be picking up were knick knacks and maybe a rocking chair for the porch as Bobbi had suggested. Still, they were meant to wander about the store and talk about different pieces, agreeing or disagreeing left completely up to them. 

“Natural banter,” Coulson had said. It was a task that neither she nor Fitz were too fussed about. After all, bantering about their work was what they liked to do normally. 

“So, we’re just getting paid to run around a furniture store together,” Fitz smiled, leaning over to whisper in Jemma’s ear as the camera guys set up. “Not a bad day.”

She turned her face to smile at him and found that they were nearly nose to nose. She quickly ducked her head to hide the warmth that had risen to her cheeks and replied, “no, not a bad day at all.”

With the lighting now officially in place, the two of them were let loose on the store. Unsurprisingly, Fitz headed straight for the couches.

“What are you doing?” Jemma laughed as Fitz fell onto the ugliest couch she had ever seen. 

“I’m sitting,” he grinned back.

She just looked at him with a slightly open mouth, an incredulous look on her face. The store had a wide array of wonderful aforementioned designs and styles and he had managed to pick the one thing that Jemma wouldn’t have even dared to look at. It was an overly plush, overly large, and overly expensive dirt brown sectional. It had cupholders, arm rests, and reclining seats and it looked as though it would take up half of any room it was in and eat up whoever sat in it. Really, she knew Fitz to have much better taste than that and she told him as such.

“Fitz, that’s awful,” she groaned, her arms crossing.

He struggled to sit up in his seat. “That’s not very nice, Jems.”

“You can’t even get up from it can you?”

“Don’t want to.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Like sitting on a cloud. If you could actually sit on a cloud, course.”

She shook her head, fighting back a laugh as he closed his eyes and noisily sat back in his seat. 

“We are not buying that,” she said.

“Sit in it before you talk ill of it,” he teased. 

Jemma unfolded her arms and playfully kicked his shin. “We’re on a time crunch, you know.”

“I know. But we’ve found the sofa with time to spare.”

“We are not getting this.”

“Still haven’t sat in it.”

“If I sit in it will you relent?” 

Fitz peeked open one eye. “Maybe.”

“Maybe,” she scoffed, “Fitz--ah!”

He had pulled her onto the couch before she could finish her sentence, spinning her slightly so she landed on her pockets next to him. Yet, by the sudden surprise on his face, Jemma guessed he hadn’t meant to pull her so close. The couch was very comfortable, but the incredible amount of stuffing in the cushions made it so they sank farther into the middle and therefore closer together. 

With the cameras still rolling and their lenses pointed directly at them, Fitz quickly recovered from the surprise and laid back in the seat they were now sharing.

“Give it up, Simmons,” he said with a smile, “it’s comfortable.”

She had to admit that it was an incredibly comfy ugly sofa, but she wasn’t giving in that easily.

She playfully swatted his chest. “Just because it’s comfortable doesn’t mean we’re getting it. For one thing, I don’t think it’ll fit in the room. Secondly, it’s still hideous.”

“Just close your eyes when you walk in the room.”

A laugh burst from out of Jemma’s mouth. “We’re not getting it for the house, Fitz. Here, how about you get it for your flat and when I stop over you can lead me to it and I can pretend we’re sitting on some other couch. That way we can still enjoy it’s comfort, but our clients don’t have to see it and I can pretend I don’t.”

She continued to laugh as she struggled to pull herself up from the quicksand cushions, only noticing Fitz had gone quiet when she turned to help him up. His face was like a blushing moon, eyes all wide and lips barely taking in any air despite being slightly parted.

“What?” Jemma asked, the familiar fluttering of butterfly wings beginning to be felt in her stomach. He was looking at almost...adoringly. At her question, though, he blinked the look away, swallowed, and gave her a grin.

“I think I might be stuck.”

“And that’s why we aren’t getting this couch,” she grinned back, trying desperately to dampen down the butterflies as he took her outstretched hand with his comfortably calloused palm. 

The rest of the shopping trip went smoothly, their banter returning to it’s normal easy nature. They really just got to spend the remainder of the day sitting in chairs, picking up odds and ends, and making one another laugh. Still, Jemma couldn’t seem to stop the pesky fluttering feeling that had started to move from her stomach to her heart. Even a whole day wandering around a furniture store--something that normally could keep her distracted for hours--couldn’t edge out the image burned into the forefront of her brain. 

Fitz’s eyes had been so bright, so blue, and so loving and the blush on his cheeks had given away a shared sense of nerves. What would they have done if there hadn’t been any cameras? Would she have broached the topic with him that had been the subject of many of her dreams? Would he have? Or would they both have done exactly what they had during the shoot? As she thought about it alone in her hotel room, she pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes. They might have let the moment go even without the camera crew present, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. She liked him. She liked him very very much. And now, with the look in those blue eyes of his seared into her memory, she couldn’t help but have some hope that he very very much liked her too.


	4. Finishing Touches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for another update! Just this chapter and the Epilogue left! Thank you so so much for all the love and support surrounding this fic! Your lovely comments and general positivity have brought such light into my weeks! Thank you!!! Sorry this is a shorter chapter! To make it up to you all I will post the epilogue tomorrow! 💛

The Thursday of the final week came so fast Jemma hardly knew where the time had gone. Normally on her show, Jemma would spend the arrival of furniture as her final day. She’d tell the movers where to put everything and then she and Daisy would start final touches. On  _ Pair and Repair _ , though, scheduling was different. Now it was the whole crew moving about in the house and readying the different rooms. Whether it was for time constraint reasons or for “getting to know the cast” reasons, Jemma didn’t much care. She found she rather liked everyone there. Most of it was going to be sped up in the edit so they were allowed to play music while they worked, getting the non double-time shots out of the way early. 

Finally, with the late summer sun going down and turning the great room into a pool of golden light and craftsman fixtures, the team decided to call it a wrap on the filming portion of the day. There was still work to be done; sofas arranged properly in the living room, pictures hung up in the master, and details placed to Jemma’s liking around the house, but that only required two people at most to get done. And it seemed fitting who the last people should be.

“We’ll call a cab,” Fitz assured one of the people on production, “we really don’t need the van.”

Jemma could have sworn she heard Daisy whisper something to Mack, something along the lines of “bet they don’t.” But she couldn’t be certain. Her head was much more focused on being alone with Fitz. 

Ever since the day at the furniture store, it seemed that they had become infinitely more aware of one another. They kept drawing closer in the van, Jemma even drifting off on his shoulder after one of their later nights. Their late night chats in her room went longer, the topics more personal, and their parting more reluctant. It had only been a few days, but there was an undeniable shift, like they were heading towards an event horizon of sorts. It was thrilling, and absolutely terrifying. 

Jemma was broken out of her thoughts by the definite sound of the front door closing and she straightened her spine and smiled as Fitz entered the living room.

He rocked on his heels, his hands falling in his pockets. “So, what shall we do first? I was thinking we would leave the couch for last. Get the smaller details done first.”

“Bitter we didn’t go with your choice.”

“Just a little. Know you were only joking, but I might go back for it.”

She laughed, unconsciously inching towards him. “Please don’t. It would crush my designer heart.”

“But I think the covering your eyes method would totally work. Here--” He crossed the gap between them and lifted her hands so that they covered her eyes. “See, then I just lead you into the room like so. And if there were a couch here--pretend there’s a couch here-- I’d just help you find your spot.”

“Hmm, yes. Very practical,” Jemma deadpanned as she sat down on the new rug.

“Well, not practical. But worth it for the comfiest sofa you’ve ever sat on.”

Feeling Fitz sit down next to her, Jemma fluttered open her eyes. The last few rays of sunlight were beaming in through the large windows behind them, the golden gleams of sunset making the lighter strands of Fitz’s hair glow like a halo around his head. Her breath caught and she quickly flicked her gaze down at the floor. 

“Actually, think this rug is comfier than your couch,” she teased, drawing the conversation away to ease the butterflies that had returned to beat their wings. They had moved completely to her heart now and had begun to break through their carefully crafted box. If her heart beat any harder it’d be hopeless.

Luckily, Fitz followed her lead, a playfully indignant look falling across his face. 

“Take it back,” he huffed. 

She laid down on the, actually very comfy, rug and stared up at the high vaulted ceilings. “Sorry, Fitz, I just don’t think I can. Lay down and you’ll see what I mean.”

With a few grumbles, Fitz came to lie down next to her. 

“Not as comfy as my couch,” he said, “but the view is probably better than at my flat.”

“Don’t have vaulted ceilings and custom made beams in your flat? And you call yourself a carpenter, Fitz.”

She turned her head to shoot him a cheeky grin, her hair fanning out underneath her on the rug, only to find him already looking at her. Where before her heart had been beating quite hard in her ribs, the look on his face made it stop altogether. It was the same blue-eyed blush he had given her at the furniture store, but with a ripened intensity. 

“Yeah,” he said, his voice lowering to a whisper and his expression going shy, “but my flat also doesn’t have you.”

Jemma blinked, her brain whipping and whirring as she tried to grasp onto a thought. Finally it landed on one, and just the one it had been landing on for the past fortnight. The thought that had been the ending of her happiest dreams.

“Fitz,” she whispered, following his lead.

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me.”

His eyes widened and his hand flew from his stomach to the floor. 

“What?”

She smiled. “Kiss me.”

He looked as though he were about to say something and for a brief panic filled moment Jemma worried she had misread his intentions. But then Fitz was propping himself up on his elbow and gently leaning over her to meet their lips in the tenderest kiss she had ever experienced. He was so sweet, his lips moving slowly at first, that Jemma nearly broke the kiss from smiling. Then, as if sensing what she was thinking, he parted his lips to deepen the kiss into a much more heated territory. Reaching up, Jemma cupped his face in her hands, feeling the scruff that was beginning to appear on his cheeks. He wasn’t network cut at the moment and it made the moment that much more personal. This was just her and Fitz. No cameras, no show. Just them together in the way they both wanted to be. Bantering and happy and with some kissing to boot. 

Fitz broke the kiss to smile at her, his lips swollen and sweet as they slanted upwards into his beaming grin. 

“What?” Jemma asked, running a finger across his cheekbone.

“Just wanted to do that for a while is all.”

She cupped his face more firmly in her palm, her eyes going wide. “Really?”

“What do you mean, really? Jemma, I’ve liked you from the moment I met you!” he laughed, moving to sit. She followed his movements with her mouth slightly open.

“The moment--but I thought you hated me!”

It was his turn to have his eyes go wide. “Hated you? God, I still haven’t cleared this up have I? You mentioned it during that first meeting and--No! Jemma! I didn’t hate you. The opposite actually. I always thought that we’d get on, but I didn’t know what to say. Nothing I could think of seemed clever enough to impress you. Instead I was a right idiot and didn’t say anything. Hunter laughed about it for days, actually--”

Jemma lunged forward to give him another kiss before touching their noses together. She glided her fingers across the skin behind his ear. “You sweet sweet man. All this time and it turns out you liked me. I could hit the both of us.”

Fitz kissed her back. It seemed they both enjoyed having the chance now to do so. “Me too. But we have now.”

“Yes,” she smiled, falling into his lap, “we have now.”

They sat together for a moment, enjoying one another’s embrace when Jemma glanced up and met Fitz’s gaze. 

“Though technically we do have a house to decorate,” she lamented.

“Right. Yes. We do have that.”

She stood up and could not help but grin at the sweet man still sitting on the floor.

“But we have after,” she said.

He smiled back. “Yes. We have all of after.”


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah! It's here! The epilogue!! Thank you all so much for the sweet and loving comments! They have brightened my days and mean the whole world! I hope you all enjoy this final chapter!! 💛

It was a few months later in the early weeks of December that the episode aired. By that time, Jemma could hardly believe that it had only been a few months since they had filmed it. It felt like it was both yesterday and years before. After all, time had worked differently after she had made things official with Fitz. 

They had been nervous at first that Coulson or May or the network would be upset, a fear that their teams had a good time laughing over. Daisy was still adamant that the furniture day was a set up, an idea that Jemma couldn’t completely rule out. Planned or not, she was forever grateful it happened as it speeded up the processes of her and Fitz finally admitting their feelings, but it still didn’t confirm or deny the validity of their fears. Luckily, though, they didn’t have to wait too long to find out. 

As it turned out, the furniture store day wasn’t planned to get them together romantically, but the romantic result did not upset Coulson or the network one bit. And it didn’t seem to upset the viewers in the slightest. In fact, it did quite the opposite. 

The pilot for  _ Pair and Repair _ broke even  _ Find, Fix, and Flip’s _ record for viewership and even trended on Twitter, just in an unexpected way. Those who watched the show did connect with the whole of the cast. They liked the connection between the teams, liked the finished product, and they also just so happened to like the pairing of Jemma and Fitz. 

“You guys have even got a ship name,” Daisy said delightedly a day after the episode aired. And it was a ship name that no one was letting go. Even Phil had started calling them Fitzsimmons when they were standing next to each other. 

Jemma and Fitz did not much care about the hubbub around their episode. Well, Fitz blushed any time someone brought up what rumors or gossip headlines were circulating on the internet, but that was to be expected. Still, at the end of the day, they were just happy to be together. Getting their own spin off a year later with their original crews was something to be celebrated, but not quite as much as their engagement that followed the year after. And as fun as it was to get an offer for a special seven part series centered around them finding their dream home together, they much preferred to keep that to themselves.

“The brush is going to be a nightmare to clear,” Fitz said as he wrapped his arm around Jemma’s waist, looking at their newly purchased cottage. 

Jemma hummed, taking in the dense overgrown foliage. She already had about a dozen designs in her head that she was beyond thrilled to share with the man she loved. 

She leaned her head onto his chest. “Once it’s cleared though we can plant all sorts of wildflowers.”

“And upgrade the original windows,” he added. 

“Add a path up to the door from the gate.”

“Plenty of yard space for the kids.”

“Kids?”

“If you want them.”

She gripped him tighter around the middle. “We could do a dutch door in the back so we can hear them playing.”

She felt him smile against her temple before he pressed a soft kiss to her hairline.

“I’m quite liking this design, Simmons.”

“I am as well, Fitz. But must we bring the couch?”

“I am afraid we must.”

She laughed at the cheeky little smile that worked its way onto his face. Not wishing to be outdone, she wiped it off with a kiss. However, it seemed to be a welcome replacement, Fitz holding to her tighter as he deepened the kiss.

Yes, Jemma was pretty sure this was going to be her favorite remodel yet.


End file.
